


Date Night at the Museum

by scrambledgreggs



Category: Lemonverse
Genre: Arko, Love Confession, M/M, Museum Date, Time Travel, rko swears that's why it's T for teen, what if we kissed in a late cretaceous anoxic event
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-17
Updated: 2019-06-17
Packaged: 2020-05-13 07:22:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,746
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19246507
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/scrambledgreggs/pseuds/scrambledgreggs
Summary: Archie and RKO enjoy a visit to the Late Cretaceous.





	Date Night at the Museum

“So here’s my _favorite_ part of our ancient Babylon exhibit!”

 

Robin wasn’t actually taking in any of the words Archie was saying to him. He kept getting distracted by a multitude of different things, but mostly by Archie himself. The way that he talked, going on and on about every element of an exhibit as if each and every one was the most important object in there. He loved it, the way that his face would light up, the way his hands would emphatically gesture while describing a great historical event, the way he’d laugh at his own niche jokes, that perfect smile and smooth voice and-

 

“And you know what’s the best part Robin?”

 

“Hm?” he said, snapping back into reality at the sound of his name.

 

“This tablet, which was graciously loaned to us for this exhibit, that was found in the ruins of Ur. Can you guess what it is?” Archie said, smiling.

 

“Uhh… I don’t know?” he said, pulling an awkward grin.

 

“Well, surprisingly enough, it’s the first recorded customer service complaint! You see, there was this fellow called Ea-nasir-”

 

Archie continued to talk, launching into another historic anecdote. Robin unconsciously relaxed his shoulders, letting out a small sigh. He chuckled at each of Archie’s tour guide style jokes, this lecture apparently rife with them. But even as he tried to stay focused on his words, his thoughts drifted. Archie had invited him for an “after-hours tour of the museum” over the phone, right in the middle of a crisis he was having over telling him he had feelings for him. So now he had to go the whole night pretending that he wasn’t admiring Archie’s incredible knowledge, his enthusiasm for his field, the way he’d occasionally smooth out his jet black hair while talking, thinking about how nice it would be to hold his hand maybe if he would be okay with tha-

 

“But I must be boring you to death with all of these stories!”

 

“You absolutely aren’t,” Robin said, probably a little louder than he intended.

 

“Oh, well I’m glad then,” Archie laughed, “usually I lose half my group at this point, I guess they’re not as interested in 5,800 year old Sumerian copper scams as I think they would be.”

 

“No, it’s really quite amazing Arch,” he responded. “The fact that you know so much about just a little piece of clay. I wouldn’t know _what_ to make of all those little notches all over it, hell, I’d think they were like, dinosaur tracks or something!”

 

“Do tell me more Dr. Opteryx!”

 

“Oh well, uh, I’d love to,” he said, starting to sweat a little. “Isn’t there a paleontology wing in this museum? I could tell you about all the fossils and whatnot-”

 

“Hang on there, I’ve got a better idea!” Archie said exuberantly, pointing at him. “Why don’t we go see the real deal?”

 

The suggestion caught Robin off guard. In fact, he realized that throughout the whole night he’d completely forgotten, despite the white shock of hair at his temples that should have reminded him otherwise, that Archie had the ability to time-travel. Not really the sort of thing that one forgets easily, but when one is desperately attempting to hide romantic feelings from another, it makes sense that things would slip the mind. He briefly considered the offer.

 

“That sounds fantastic,” he replied.

 

“Well then,” Archie continued, extending his hands out to Robin, “where to?”

 

“Or rather-”

 

“ _WHEN_ to?” they joked in unison, Robin gently grasping his hands.

 

“Well, I’ve always been fond of the Carboniferous, but the Jurassic period is also good, but then again so is the Permian and the Cambrian and the Devonian and-”

 

“What’s your favorite?”

 

“I think I’ve gotta pick the Cretaceous. The Campanian age to be precise, about 75 million years ago.”

 

“Sounds good, thanks for the specificity,” Archie replied, winking, practically stopping Robin’s heart right then and there.

 

Robin watched their shadows, cast by the lights in the museum, slowly turn counter-clockwise around their feet, growing faster and faster until, in an instant, they appeared amidst dense foliage atop a hill, overlooking the shore to a pale blue sea. The air was warm and humid, Robin’s shirt sticking to his skin almost immediately.

 

“Hoo boy, that really does it doesn’t it!” Archie exclaimed, huffing like he just ran to catch a bus.

 

“Oh, Arch, are you good?”

 

“Oh, I’ll be a-okay mate,” he wheezed, positioning his back upright, “just knocks the wind outta me sometimes!”

 

“Okay, well, don’t strain yourself too hard…”

 

“No worries! Say, why don’t you tell me about some of what’s going on here? I don’t recall the ocean being as close as it is here.”

 

“Oh, well that’s because we’re in the height of the Cretaceous sea level transgression, and a great portion of the country is covered in this big shallow sea.”  
  
“Golly!”

 

“Yeah! But that’s not my favorite part about the age y’know, it’s all the, uh, dinosaurs!”

 

“I am positively _dying_ to know more Robin!”

 

“Well, the seaway was host to many plesiosaurs, including the Elasmosaurus, well, actually it wasn't dinosaur now that I think about it but it had this crazy long neck and-”

 

Robin continued to ramble on about all of his favorite examples of prehistoric life, Archie grinning ear to ear while listening. He barely noticed how enamored the fellow at his side looked, fondly gazing at him as he lectured, while pointing at distant congregations of figures which vaguely resembled dinosaurs, listing off the names of what they could potentially be, and their evolutionary history. He also barely noticed as he reached to gently over to hold Archie’s free hand, weaving his fingers into his. A pterosaur glided overhead, a goalpost-like crest jutting out of its head.

 

“Crikey! Would you look at that!”

 

“Oh shit!”

 

“What’s that one called?”

 

“Oh well, I think that’s a Nyctosaurus, but that’s not actually a dinosaur, just a flying reptile.”

 

“Ohhhh, I see I see.”

 

“And you can tell that Nyctosaurus is a pteradactyloid instead of a rhamphorhynchoid, because the pteradactyloids were generally much bigger, and also had no tails! Whereas rhamps had tails they would use to help rudder them through the air, and this relates... to an interesting principle... of flight...”

 

Robin trailed off as he realized that he was holding Archie’s hand. He felt his face grow hot, the panic of embarrassment rising in his chest.

 

“Is everything alright Robin?”

 

He withdrew his hand from Archie’s, freezing up in shame. He’d totally know that he had a crush on him now, and it was going to be awkward and weird and he probably wouldn’t want to talk to him anymore and-

 

“Hey, hey, mate, what’s wrong?” Archie said, reaching up to his shoulder to comfort him.

 

“Archie, I need to tell you something,” he strained out, his voice cracking.

 

“What is it Robin?” he said, his eyebrows knitting together with worry.

 

“Okay, god, fuck, here it goes,” he said, inhaling deeply, stiffening his upper body.

 

“I think that- I really…. You’re- I- I have a crush on you. God. Fuck.”

 

A silence hung in the warm, late Cretaceous air for what seemed like an eternity, until a smile formed at the edges of Archie’s mouth, his expression relaxing into one of ease.

 

“Oh cripes, _that’s_ what this has been about?”

 

“I’m so, so sorry Archie I get it if you don’t wanna-”

 

“Robin, Robin, I like you too.”

 

“What?”

 

“I thought we were on a date?”

 

“ _What?_ ”

 

“We’ve been on 2 of ‘em already to my knowledge?”

 

“ _WHAT?_ ”

 

“Remember when we went to one of my favorite monuments and I told you about 19th century archaeological expeditions and you gave me a little replica of a Horus statue and you told me you really liked talking to me? Honestly mate, I thought we were official at this point!”

 

“Oh my god,” Robin groaned, burying his face in his hands.

 

“Aw, don’t get yourself down, I probably could have been clearer about it,” Archie replied, patting him on the shoulder.

 

“Well, I’m at least relieved that I don’t have to hide it anymore,” he sighed.

 

“I am too, and hey, if it’d be alright,” he replied, sliding his hand down Robin’s arm and to his hand, taking it into his.

 

“I’d love to catch up some.”

 

Robin’s face was about as hot as it could get, but he couldn’t contain a faint smile.

 

“So would I.”

 

“You’re a right phenomenal man, Robin. You’re just so smart and thoughtful, and quite handsome if I may say so myself!”

 

“Oh… wow… Archie I- I feel the same way too.”

 

“Why thank you Doctor Opteryx!”

 

“And thank you too Doctor Sunday.”

 

Robin felt his shoulders relax, looking down at Archie, taking in the details of his appearance. His perfect gap-toothed smile, a tuft of his black hair hanging down onto his forehead, his icy blue eyes, looking back with equal adoration. Robin leaned down slightly, Archie leaning up in turn.

 

“Would it be okay?” Archie asked.

 

“Yes.”

 

The two of them closed the gap, their lips meeting, Archie pulling himself closer into Robin by slipping his hand onto his back and getting on the tips of his toes. It was slow but sweet, set against the verdant Mesozoic landscape, the crash of waves against the nearby shore made soft by the distance. They pulled away, still looking into each other’s eyes. Robin laughed a little, Archie following suit.

 

“We should probably head back soon,” Robin said.

 

“Well, I can bring us back to whatever time we want, but I do understand what you mean of course!”

 

They laughed, Archie taking up both of his hands. Their shadows circled around them, clockwise this time, until they showed right back at the museum, five minutes past when they had left. It was still dark and quiet in the museum, with only the faint buzz of fluorescent lights overhead. The two of them walked out, hand in hand, the light of streetlamps and the faint glow of the moon illuminating them.

 

“Well, I ought to leg it to the bus stop, last one comes in 7 minutes,” Archie said, looking at his watch.

 

“Oh, well, I was gonna ask, uh, well. Maybe not ask but, uh, I could drive you home if you want.”

 

“Oh, really?”

 

“Yeah! And I got CDs in my car if you wanna listen to some maybe.”

 

“That sounds fantastic.”


End file.
